Review: Fortune & Fame - Victoria Christopher Murray/Reshonda Tate Billingsley

REVIEW

Reality TV will never be the same!  Rachel Adams has just been cast on the newest OWN produced reality show, First Ladies.  Jasmine Bush has also been casted but little do these frenemies know, so have women from their past.

For Rachel, it is Mary, the natural mother of her son Lester, Jr.  The same Mary who was sent to prison for fraud and identity theft - the same Mary who made Rachel life H-E-double hockey sticks.  Mary who is married to an up and coming preacher is now looking for redemption.  Since her incarceration, Mary has turned her life around and is now married to a preacher; however, everything is not what it seems. Her husband is a slick talking, anything but a man of God preacher.  He has his eye on reality tv and the fortune and fame that comes with it.  For Jasmine, it is Natalia, former fiancée of Jasmine's husband.  She is once again determined to get him back at all costs.  To make matters worse, for favorite fixer, Olivia Pope's mentor, Mae Francis is sick with pneumonia!

This drama filled story had me laughing out loud.  It is clear that the writers are fans of reality TV.  They have captured the good, the bad and the downright crazy of all that is "reality" television. I especially loved the scenes where the producers manipulated the scenes so that the women would attack each other.  


Once again Jasmine and Rachel prove, we can mess with each other but don't you dare!  Get the popcorn and Pepsi because this one is drama!


5 Stars


Mia

Review: Real As It Gets (Rumor Central) - Reshonda Tate Billingsley

 

REVIEW

 

Rumor Central: Real As It Gets by Reshonda Tate Billingsley is the third book in the series and Maya Morgan, dubbed the Gossip Diva, dishes out the scoop on the hottest celebrities. When the latest story comes across her desk that a new drug has hit the scenes, and quite a few celebrities have fallen victim to it, it stuns Maya even more when someone she knows personally has fallen victim to this drug. Maya is even more stunned to find out that this drug, has been circulating throughout Miami and a few of her classmates have also fallen victim to this drug.

In other news, Maya's cousin, Travis comes to stay with them. It seems that Travis got himself into some trouble back home and to be less of a stress to his mom, that is sick, he was sent to stay with Maya and her parents. Maya likes having Travis around, but she is not sure how she feels about sharing her parents with him, since she is used to being the only child. Not only does Travis attend the same high school as Maya, he seems to be just as popular, if not more, especially with those of the opposite sex. Which becomes a serious problem with Maya. Not only, that but her curiosity gets the best of her, and Maya wonders what kind of trouble Travis got himself into back home. When she gets to digging, she finds out that Travis is not the cousin she once knew.

As Real As It Gets by Reshonda Tate Billingsley is the third book in the Rumor Central teen series. Although, I did not read the previous books in the series, this book is a stand-alone novel. It is a novel that touches on a teen issue throughout the United States, no matter what background they come from; drugs are available to teens everywhere. The less expensive the drug is to get a high, the better.

As Real As It Gets shows teens the dangers of using drugs, and the lasting effects it can have on one's family and friends. Although, the novel had a good moral to be learned from the story, it lacked the depth and suspense. Without giving a spoiler to the novel, it was too much towards the end and was unbelievable on how everything came to a head and abruptly ended. Aside from that, it was a quick and easy read.

3 Stars

Leona